The Other Half
by Himitsu no Tokumei
Summary: TohruxNatsuno, GarekixYogi. Natsuno realized it. He figured Tatsumi knew it, too. The reason why there were so few Jinrou. It wavered his resolve to kill "all" Shiki. There was one he would protect. Had to. For it was now part of him. His Shiki. If necessary, he would even fight all of Circus to protect him. Full Summary inside.
1. Chapter 1: Plans Change

TohruxNatsuno, GarekixYogi. Natsuno realized it. He figured Tatsumi knew it, too. The reason why there were so few Jinrou. Had it been Megumi that killed him he would have just turned into an ordinary Shiki. But he wasn't, and it wavered his resolve to kill "all" Shiki. There was one he would protect. Had to. From anything.  
Gareki was finally back on Ship Two as the first combat physician. He'd hoped to be able to take a bit of time to get back into the routine its residents tended to set, but not two days after his arrival Circus is called to an isolated country that was just recently attacked by "savage monsters that move in the night and kill without mercy, changing some of their victims into their own kind."

I am now a very very bad girl, starting another story again when I have 4 (5 with the one I started two days ago) that still need to be completed. But I just love these characters and I hate how Shiki ended so I wanted to write things for them! And it seems to go really well with Karneval. Again, I have **Salt-the-Catgirl** to thank for the inspiration to write this one, so I hope she enjoys it.

This first chapter focuses just on the Shiki side of things, as the next chapter will (mostly) be just Karneval, setting things up for the two worlds to collide. I still haven't determined exactly how the two groups meet, but with the two sets of leads being so similar you know something funny is most likely to occur.

I know that some of the events in this are different from anime (I haven't read the manga for either series, btw), but since the ending isn't supposed to be the same as it was for the anime I think I can be granted the little leeway.

Natsuno is wearing the outfit he had on whenever he seemed to be in a tree (spying on Tohru leaving flowers, talking to Ozaki). It also won't be shown (though I might mention it in the next chapter that you see him in) but he does at one point go back and retrieve his other outfits from his house. I just like the one with the big checkered coat so I put him in that, even though it is only references once really.

Okay, so I have a habit and making new nouns based on hair color. In some stories I use bluenette to describe with blue hair, silverette for silver, ravenette for black, etc. Purple is a little harder, so violette is what it ended up becoming. It's used to provide reference to Natsuno, whose hair is a dark purple. It's just one more noun to use to help prevent redundancy when referring to characters.

 **I do not own Shiki or Karneval :'(**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Plans Change**

He stood by silently as the two teenagers absorbed what he'd just told them, the good doctor also respectfully staying silent. This was a lot for them to take in, but he needed their full cooperation if it was to work. He knew he had told Toshio Ozaki before that he planned on destroying all of the Shiki, himself included, but that was before. His mind had shifted that night he told Tohru he would never forgive him for what he'd done. The pain on the blonde's face made his heart clench, and he almost revoked his words right there, but stubbornness kept him silent. Over the next few days as a plan formed in his mind he was able to think it through more clearly, and almost as if someone had lifted a fog in his mind, he suddenly understood his own being more clearly than ever before. He wasn't sure where this knowledge had come from, he just _knew_. Now he stood in silence and waited for the two to answer his request.

"I'll do it," the boy said determinedly, locking eyes with the Jinrou. "I'll give you my blood."

Glancing over at her brother, Kaori slowly nodded in understanding before turning back to face her friend. "I will, too," she replied. "If what you said is true, then... Please save Tohru."

Nodding his head, and sending a quick look in Toshio's direction to make sure the man wasn't going to try to stop him or stake him, Natsuno glided across the floor to the siblings. He didn't particularly _want_ to do this, but unfortunately it was necessary. Violet eyes going dark with a red ring around his crimson pupils, his lips parted to reveal the set of elongated canines now adorning his mouth. Titling Akira's head to the side, he hunched down and, as gently as possible, pierced the pliable skin with his fangs. Warm liquid rushed into his mouth, heart beating faster as his Okiagari nature relished the feast while his human conscious revolted against it. While he held no disdain towards Tohru for drinking, he had no need for the substance so it felt wrong to have it in his mouth. Still, he would require the extra strength it would provide him, so he begrudgingly swallowed the thick liquid.

This was different from the time he hypnotized Ozaki to prevent Chizuru from controlling him. He'd barely taken any of the doctor's blood at that time because he didn't bite him to feed. This time he was drinking the life from another person, a sensation all its own, and for a fraction of a second he thought he understood what drove the Shiki so fervently. He didn't need blood to survive, but he could feel the monster inside him reveling at the taste. No doubt it was even worse for the Shiki.

Taking as much as he dared from his first donor, the young Jinrou lifted his head from the boy's neck and licked the few, straying drops from his lips. To his credit, Akira remained conscious, albeit showing signs of lethargia. He also grinned at the older male despite the fact that his blood now rested in the Okiagari's stomach. Turning to face the girl, who gulped despite herself after watching him feed off her brother, he carefully pulled his body onto the bed. He was sitting facing her now, the look in his red-lit eyes saying she could stop him if she wanted to, but she just took a deep breath and tilted her head to the side for him. Giving a nod so inperceivably slight the three wondered if they even saw it, he leant forward and bit into her neck. And again he felt that rush of sickening pleasure to drinking of someone else's blood.

Toshio had remained in the doorway the entire time, watching the scene unfold before him. It was strange to him to think that he was doing nothing while watching an Okiagari feed on children, but the two had willingly offered when he asked. It was almost mesmerizing to watch the violet-haired teen feed, leaving a bad taste in his mouth as each pull of that pale throat stole more of the siblings' blood. It wasn't his place to intervene, though, especially since he'd already agreed to let the Jinrou ask.

When Natsuno had finished he silently stood and glanced between his two friends. While Akira was still holding on to the waking world, Kaori was slipping off into unconsciousness by a combination of blood loss, fatigue and stress. His eyes once again their purple hue, he stated simply, "I will do everything in my power to make them pay. And to bring Tohru back." Then he turned on the ball of his foot and stalked right out the door. He could see the disapproving scowl on the good doctor's face, but he had more pressing matters to attend to than a more polite farewell to his patrons. Tonight they would kill Chizuru, tomorrow raid the mansion, and if all went well, by the time the sun set that night the only Okiagari left would be himself and Tohru.

The plan itself was too simple, though, and he knew it. Holes littered its makeup, not the least of which the fact that only a small portion of "Sunako's children" resided in the mansion. Tatsumi would be a problem to deal with, too, the much older Jinrou more prepared and experienced when it came to close combat. He would need something up his sleeve to win that fight. _And help,_ he added to himself, gazing out the window at the bright sun. Either way, things were already set in motion, and he couldn't risk slowing down. More than one life depended on it...

"So what happened to your 'I'm going to kill all the Shiki, including myself' spiel from before?" Toshio asked, falling in step beside the teen. "You seemed pretty determined at the time to eradicate your own race from the planet."

"At the time I thought that was only way," he replied calmly, hands thrust into his pockets. "That there was no place in this world for the Okiagari. But now I know that is not true. It is just that, unfortunately, few Shiki will ever find what they need _to_ live in this world."

"You mean what you told those two?" the older man inquired, studying the Jinrou's face and finding no hesitation at all. Sighing and turning his attention forward again, he continued, "How sure are you about what you speak?"

The door opened, the two stepped out, and as one headed towards the sheltering trees and the other stayed on the front steps, Natsuno replied, "One-hundred percent." And then he was gone.

* * *

As he had thought, only a few Shiki actually resided at Kanemesa, and with the sun high in the sky it had been a simple thing to take them out. Searching for the others, though, had not been so simple. There were any number of places they could be hidden, as was shown with the small village hut he'd rescued Akira from, and with the records skewed by Shiki influence it was difficult to tell which residents were actually alive and which were just meant to look like it.

One of the men invading the Kirishiki's mansion suddenly collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from a fresh hole in his head. It had been silenced, but Natsuno's sensitive ears had easily picked up the rifle shot. If someone was shooting the villagers in broad daylight, then could it be… Tatsumi? There was another one, this time striking a wooden support, and with his hearing now trained on the sound it was easy for the Jinrou to determine its point of origin. If it really was Tatsumi, he couldn't pass up the chance to possibly catch him off guard, but he'd have to approach cautiously. He wasn't stupid. It was easy to tell that the teal-haired Okiagari was definitively stronger than him.

With their targets now under cover and searching for the source, his shooter had become more cautious as well. The two other shots he did try both missed their targets, although by the minimal of margins. The bullet meant for Ozaki's head passed through the space just above it, the doctor ducking further behind his barrier at the frightening sound. The other, meant for the large man who was father to one of the Shiki Chizuru had become fond of, buried itself in the beam he was using as cover. Then he felt a tug on his barrel and was forcefully turned to face the violet-haired boy that had been identified to him as a Jinrou.

Natsuno could smell it on him. This man… this man was human. Purple eyes narrowing, he stood there in silence, his only actions being to hold the gun away from its intended victims and to glare at the one responsible for that. It was the blue-haired, middle-aged man who spoke first. "You are a Jinrou, boy," he started, not even trying to wrest his weapon from the teenager's hand, "so why are you on the human's side."

Studying his adversary's face for a moment, an understanding appeared at the forefront of Natsuno's mind. "You want to be a Shiki," he stated, a hint of disgust tainting his words. To think that there were those who desired the cursed existence Tohru was having to face.

"Yes, although Chizuru expressly refused an attempt," he confirmed, letting his arm relax a little since he knew the boy wasn't going to release his hold. "You see, my father was a hunter of sorts. He hunted people. I wanted to know that feeling, of having someone else's life in my hands, being given the power to choose whether they lived or died.

"When Chizuru found me, I was as much under my father's control as any that he took his rage out on. She freed me from that, but refused to drink my blood in an attempt to turn me. You see, apparently Shiki is somewhat of a genetic condition. Since neither my father nor my mother Rose the chance that I would remain dead as well was high. My only choice was to follow along as a human servant to the Shiki until my eventual death," he finished, watching the boy's face carefully for his reaction. He didn't know if it would be of any use, but if it looked like he was about to attack then he'd pull the trigger, and hope the barrel was angled right for a shot to the heart. At this range with such a high-powered rifle it would blow a large enough hole in the Jinrou's chest to kill him.

What he hadn't counted on, though, was Natsuno's newly-acquired speed. With human blood still feeding his systems, he managed to move behind the older man before he had a chance to react, bending one arm painfully behind his back while the other grabbed his chin. "I don't care for your backstory, or the reason behind your actions," Natsuno said passively, eyes turning black with small, red lights in the center. "I'm not even on the human's side. I just don't like what they're doing, and you're in my way, therefore…" he let his sentence trail off, the man's hazelnut eyes going wide as he noticed the color of the Jinrou's at the corner of his vision. Opening his mouth wide, Natsuno bit down with much less care than he had shown his two friends. Making sure to only drink a small amount of Seishirou's blood, he released his victim and let him slump to the floor, his venom already taking effect on his nervous system. Crouching down so they were at the same level, Natsuno commanded, "Kill any other Jinrou you come across." He didn't think the human would be able to take out Tatsumi, but perhaps he could slow his former comrade down. Then he turned from the man and vanished back into the trees, unaware of the significance this little detour would have on the outcome. After all, the man would end up taking out the one Jinrou he hadn't known about; Yoshie.

* * *

He feared his feet wouldn't carry him fast enough. By the time he heard the woman recount where the other Shiki were holed up the humans had a two hour head start on him. And from what she explained it was Tohru who had released her from the cell, certain that this action would lead to his demise. _If I don't get to him before they do, it most certainly will_ , he mentally growled, willing his legs to move faster.

He could hear the men before he saw them, several shouting about how 'there are more over here' and to 'check the other huts for Shiki as well.' This was both a ray of hope and a foreboding message, for if Tohru was in one of the buildings already searched and he came upon his truly dead body… Natsuno could not say for sure what he'd do. The thought alone made a menacing growl rise in his throat, startling the man by the tree line near his position. Skirting around the edgy villager, he exited the woods and melded with the uncontrollable mob perfectly, his Jinrou nature allowing him to hide among them with little suspicion.

Glancing around the large clearing, he was relieved to see that Tohru's corpse wasn't on any of the pallets. There were probably more bodies still in the already searched huts, but he also wasn't getting that sense of dread he knew he'd have if the blonde was slain, and in a rare moment of optimism focused solely on the unexplored buildings. Closing his eyes and shutting his senses off from all outside distractions, the violet-haired Jinrou mentally reached for his counterpart. The area around him rendered itself in his mind's eye, detailing not only where the humans and Shiki were, but also showing the trees, structures, rubble, even the insects that were close enough. No doubt this ability was a product of drinking human blood, and after tonight he wouldn't be able to use it, but at the moment he was grateful for it because, there, just a few buildings down and huddled in the back corner, was the particular Shiki he was looking for. And three men were approaching the door.

He streaked right passed Toshio Ozaki, the man wearing a shocked expression at his presence. After all, he was supposed to have retrieved Tohru and vacated the premises before they arrived, but it couldn't be helped; he'd learned the location too long after they did. The door was already open when he got there, one of the men stepping through the threshold with murderous intent. The second found himself unable to follow as the teen sent him reeling to the ground, a large lump forming on the side of his head to show for his encounter with the Jinrou. The third was silenced before he had the chance to scream for help.

The first cell was empty, as his mental image had shown him, and the man who had already entered was nowhere to be seen. The door to the second cell, however was still swinging slightly on its hinges.

"Can you please… make it quick?" a weak, female voice asked politely. From the sound of it, Ritsuko was extremely weak. Silently walking around the corner to view of scene, Natsuno waited to see how the burly man would react. None of the three seemed to notice his presence.

"You have a lot of nerve asking for something like that, monster!" he spat, visibly shaking with rage. "How many people have you killed? Were any of their deaths quick?"

"Ritsuko never harmed anyone!" that voice belonged to Tohru, and Natsuno couldn't deny that hearing his voice again made his heart flutter a beat. "If you want to say something like that to me…" he continued, anger deflating into something miserable as the sentence spilled from his lips, "then that's fine… because it's true… I've killed people, and not all of them were over quickly… But no matter how much I yelled at and threatened her, Ritsuko refused to drink! She's less of a monster than you are!" He seemed to regain some of his life with those last few words, defending what he thought was the one friend he had left.

Clenching his teeth, the man raised his hand, and subsequently the stake it held, and yelled, "How dare you speak to me like that! Why don't you just act like the demon you are!?"

A firm hand grabbed his wrist as it angled down at the Shiki's heart, locking it in a grip strong as stone. "If that is really what you want, should I oblige?" Natsuno asked, squeezing the delicate joint until the man screamed in pain and dropped the stake. He then shoved the man back, making him collide with the wall and fall to the floor, clutching his shattered wrist, and looked down at the two other Okiagari.

"Natsu… no," Tohru whispered, finding himself unable to hold the Jinrou's gaze and instead staring at the floor.

The weariness showing clearly in her face, Ritsuko still managed to smile up at him. Drawing his gaze to the discarded piece of wood, she asked calmly, "Can I ask you… to make it quick? For both of us? Tohru has… he's suffered enough from all of this."

Gracefully retrieving the stake from the dust, he couldn't help but look down at the woman sadly. She had been one of the few other people in this village that he could stand, and it pained him to see the kind-hearted nurse changed into something that required blood to live. _I don't think she'd be happy even if she found her Jinrou_ , he thought. "I'm afraid I can't," he answered, both sets of Shiki eyes snapping up to face him, one fearful and the other distraught. "Because I have no intentions of killing Tohru."

"What do you—" the nurse started, another voice coming from the entrance cutting her off.

"What the hell, Natsuno?" an irate male shouted. She recognized that voice, and the prospect scared her. The last person she wanted to see her in this state was the one person now walked agitatedly in their direction, albeit yelling at the Jinrou in front of her. Her distress was not missed by the younger male, nor the cause; he had realized before that she liked the older doctor, and had felt sorry for Tohru until he realized his best friend didn't have a crush on her. "I thought you were on our side! Why the hell did you attack them?" The pained groan from the third man Natsuno took down distracted him as he approached the teen, drawing his attention away from the three Okiagari that he was now in a cell with. "What did you do to him?!"

"I just broke his wrist," the Jinrou replied simply, meeting the doctor's glare. "Be thankful that's all I did. I would have probably slaughtered everyone here if he'd managed to kill Tohru."

As if he suddenly realized there were Shiki huddled on the floor, Toshio's head snapped around to take in the two forms. He almost swooned when his violet eyes met Ritsuko's black and red ones, his former employee looking away in shame and clutching his shoulders. "Ritsuko…" he said sadly, averting his gaze to the left. "I heard. About how you stood by your resolve and never bit anyone regardless of how terrible the thirst became." Walking over to the Jinrou, he held one hand out in request of the item the violette was still holding. Nodding slightly, he passed the weapon off to the doctor. Kneeling in front of her, the feel of the pointed wood on her chest made her turn back to him, tears dotting her eyes. "You deserve to rest, my friend," he said, a slight choke at the end as he hammered the stake through her heart.

"Tha…nk y…u," she gasped as the life left her body, a smile permanently frozen on her lips in death. Struggling to a standing position, Toshio's legs tried to give out on him and he stumbled back until his back struck the front of the cage. He stayed there for a short moment, steadying his breath.

"I could have done it for you," Natsuno stated.

"No, I needed to do it," Toshio replied, now steady again. Walking over to his injured comrade he placed an arm under his armpit to help him to his feet as well. "She was like a little sister to me. I had to be the one to end her suffering."

"She didn't think of you as a sibling," Natsuno said, watching the man escort his charge to the door of the cell.

He stopped in the frame, completely silent for almost a minute before he softly spoke, "I know." Handing the man off to someone else, he remained in that position for another short moment, waiting for them to exit, before saying back at the two without turning around, "Don't forget, three weeks. And if you hurt anyone else I will stake you personally!"

"I understand," the Jinrou conceded, turning back to his own ward. Tohru was looked around in a state of confusion, not understanding why the two people who were trying to destroy his people were suddenly letting him live. His attention was pulled back to those amethyst pools when the younger male extended one hand towards him, palm up in forgiving gesture. "My offer still stands," Natsuno told him, somehow managing to keep his voice steady. "Take my hand and we can leave here, together. There is just one last thing I need to do first, and I will need your help."

Resigned to whatever his best friend— _Well, former, I guess_ , he thought—had in store for him, Tohru slowly accepted the offered hand. He was instantly pulled to his feet, the stronger Okiagari supporting his weight until he successfully got his feet underneath him. Then, to his surprise, the Jinrou pulled the collar of his purple checkered coat away from throat and just stared at him. The silence was oppressing, and in an attempt to lighten the air the blonde stuttered, "Wh-what are you…?"

"You haven't fed for at least a day, and you will need the strength my blood can provide you," the violette stated, holding his clothes away from the exposed skin. "It won't hurt me. I've already fed."

If that comment was supposed to calm the blonde down it did the exact opposite. Dark eyes going wide, he felt the strength again leaving his knees, but refused to let himself fall merely because he didn't want to burden the younger teen with having to pick him up again. "You mean you've… drank blood?" he asked somberly.

Sighing, Natsuno replied evenly, "Yes. I knew I wouldn't be strong enough as I was, and when I asked the two offered willingly. Now hurry up because we are running out of time." When Tohru still hesitated, he practically yelled, "I need your help to take out Tatsumi, and you'll be forced into the dead sleep in a few hours. Drink my blood so we can finish the job and get you somewhere safe before then."

"We're going after Tatsumi?" he asked, incredulous. He was absolutely terrified of teal-haired man, how was he going to be any help in killing him? _Bait?_ his mind wondered. _Natsuno's the Jinrou, so maybe he plans on catching him off guard by using me to draw him out._ Taking a cautious step forward, he swallowed thickly and caught a small glimpse of the determined look in the other boy's eyes before placing one hand on his opposite shoulder for balance and leaned forward. Teeth piercing the slightly-paler-than-normal skin, he wasn't expecting the strange rush that came over him at the taste of Natsuno's blood. It was sweeter than he remembered when the other male was human, and richer. Power seemed to flood his body as the warm liquid slowly filled his stomach, satiating some type of deep thirst he didn't even realize he'd had.

Too quickly it seemed, he pulled away, staring down at his hands in alarm. They were shaking from the rush of power he'd just experienced, seeming just as frightened as he was by the experience. "Did you get enough?" Natsuno asked, rolling his shoulder and massaging the bite mark to alleviate the residual discomfort. "If so then stop moping around and hurry up. I have a lot to fill you in on before we try to take out Tatsumi"

Not even bothering to wait for Tohru's slight nod in understanding, he turned away and marched right out of the building, coat swinging slightly with his dramatics. He waited there until the blonde joined him, several humans gathered around to watch the two Okiagari with thinly veiled hate and fear. Ozaki was currently tending to the men he had previously knocked out, both of whom had regained consciousness, and the one whose wrist he'd crushed. One of the former tried to stand and stalk over to him, but more than one hand kept him seated. The first one belonged to the doctor, and the second was Mr. Mutou, the tall man staring at his son. Tohru couldn't return his gaze, closing his eyes as tight as he could and rubbing his mouth on his sleeve as if he'd spilled some of Natsuno's blood down his chin.

Feeling the Jinrou's gaze on him, Mr. Mutou snapped his attention to his son's best friend, a silent understanding passing between them. Neither needed to say anything, they just knew. _I will keep him safe._ _ **I trust you with his life.**_ Then Natsuno grabbed the Shiki's wrist and the two disappeared into the surrounding woods.

* * *

Tatsumi threw him back into a tree hard enough to break vertebrae had he been human. Instead it left him with a slight ringing in his ears and aching sting across his shoulder blades. Both of those and the bruise trying to form were healed as quickly as they had been dealt thanks to his newfound strength, the blow doing little more than succeeding in putting some distance between the two. "Think about what you're doing," Tatsumi started, stepping over a fallen log. The tree itself looked health, until you reached close to its truck where some force had snapped it in two. The Jinrou's opponent could only be grateful he had managed to dodge that attack, for it would take more than a few seconds to heal that wound. "Of all the people who have been slaughtered because of what you've done."

"You mean those who died by your, the Kirishiki's, hands, only to come back and have to pray on their own loved ones?" the teenager asked, slowly easing himself to the side. "Like how you sent Megumi after Tohru, and then Tohru after me? I guess I was a little hitch in your plan, though, wasn't I?" Natsuno asked, now positioned how he wanted to be. "You realized that Tohru was the only one I would let in my room, and you wanted to torment him because his nature was so different from yours. Break him, in other words. Drag him down to your level." He could see the other Okiagari starting to fume at his words. Oh, so he was picking at scabs now, was he? "Let me guess… She's dead, isn't she?" he deadpanned.

Expecting the attack, Natsuno easily bolted out of the way, the enraged male's claws digging into the ground behind him as he once again sprinted off through the woods. "Don't speak so lightly of things you don't understand."

"There is where you are wrong, Tatsumi," Natsuno chided, digging his heel into the ground and sending a palm strike right back at the older male. Not expecting the sudden move it hit him squarely in the chest and knocked him back a couple yards. "So, did she get tired of you and fry herself or did her death come about because of your negligence?" The snarl was all the answer he needed. "So you couldn't protect her. And now to fuel your own happiness you steal it from others. You should have just offed yourself when your Shiki died."

Lightning fast, Tatsumi covered the distance between them and pinned the smaller to a large pine, crushing his throat to prevent him from speaking any more. "Just give yourself some time and you will understand," he bit out, their faces mere centimeters apart. "What you suggested isn't so easy to do, and the only thing you have left is your own unhappiness. Seeing others as miserable as you is the only joy you can find. If he hadn't suffered so much just from staying alive I would have killed the little blonde the instant I realized you Rose as a Jinrou, as I had done with Yoshie's mate, but I also knew you'd be less likely to conform to our ways and thus the better one to eliminate. If the little weakling is still alive I will be sure to deliver your rotting corpse to him."

Damnit, he still wasn't where he needed to be. He could smell the ravine about half a mile away, the multitude of dead Shiki tossed into it giving it a foul odor. He had to find some way to get the stronger man off him and run there before time ran out. Then as if a lightbulb clicked in his head, he brought one leg up swiftly between his opponent's knees. The sudden pain made him drop the boy, who scrambled a few feet away coughed a few times before taunting, "Curious. I didn't think you'd have anything left there."

A sadistic grin on his face as he quickly recovered from the low blow, he growled in such a menacing voice it made the hair on the back of Natsuno's neck stand on end, "I'll make sure that when I'm through with you that you certainly don't."

And once again the two were off in a race through the woods. Fueled both by human blood and rage, Tatsumi was quickly gaining on the younger Jinrou. The slash of his claws barely missed the other's heel, pulling his attention dangerously away from where he was going. This was Tatsumi's territory, hunting down his prey as if it was a helpless animal, and Natsuno was the animal. Although, after all he had been through in the last several weeks he wasn't about to just lay down and let the predator kill him. Just like a cornered dog, he'd bare his fangs if he had to.

Looking ahead just in time to swerve around a skinny oak, he cringed slightly when he heard the older male's claws scratch the wood as he passed. He knew it had been too much to ask for the teal-haired Okiagari to accidentally run into the tree, but he had still hoped he would.

Then the edge came into sight and, acting like he hadn't been expecting it, he skidded to a halt and braced himself for impact with the other male. Grinning evilly, Tatsumi once again grabbed Natsuno by the throat, lifting him off the ground and this time making sure the other Jinrou wouldn't go for a blow to the crotch; he was holding him over the edge of the pit. "Go ahead, make me drop you this time," he sneered, squeezing a little tighter. "However, from this height you very well might sustain enough damage to kill you, even though you are a Jinrou. So, tell me, any last words for your little Shiki?"

"Ye…ah," Natsuno gasped out, both hands working to loosen his hold on his windpipe. "Now, Tohru!" he yelled.

From his hiding place in the nearby bushes, Tohru almost jumped and forgot his part when his best friend yelled out at him. Both hands shaking with fear, although towards which Jinrou he wasn't entirely sure, he hastily squeezed the trigger. The sharpened end of the grappling gun shot straight at Tatsumi's back, the teal-haired man completely unsuspecting of the trap. It pierced through the skin just below his heart, one blade tearing through his left lung before the metal claw collided with his sternum and stopped. The blonde then ran out of his hiding place leapt off the truck of a tree and over a thick branch, using his weight as a pulley to yank the man, and also Natsuno who was making sure to keep a strong hold on his arm, back from the edge.

The force of the tug pulled the hook back towards its entry hole, but the device had spun slightly when it entered his body. As it was drawn back, two of the claws caught on his spine, and his Okiagari-strengthened bones refused to snap. He released his hold on Natsuno, the younger male letting go once he was safely back over solid ground, opting instead to try and claw the grappling hook out of his back. Tohru landing on the ground and the violette joining him to make sure Tatsumi's weight didn't pull the blonde back into the air, they watched the older man jerk in pain when gravity pulled him back towards the ground and he reached the end of the cord. The look he gave the two was of pure hatred, promising them unspeakable things once he freed himself. "Release him, Tohru," Natsuno commanded.

Letting go of the gun, Tatsumi headed straight for the ground. Almost before his feet touched the ground he was flying towards the two, Natsuno making sure to catch both of his wrists before those menacing claws could tear out Tohru's throat. _Just as I thought, he's going after Tohru_ , he thought, throwing him to the side and away from the ledge. Purple eyes watched the gun jerk on the end of its cord and wrap around the branch, growling at the inanimate device as it did the exact opposite as he wanted. "You should have left me hanging!" his opponent shouted, again launching at the blonde.

"Tohru!" Natsuno yelled, again catching the weakening Jinrou's arms. He didn't need to say any more for his best friend to understood what he wanted, allowing him to turn his attention back to the snapping fangs getting increasingly closer to his neck. Even with the blood loss from the sharpened grappling hook Tatsumi could match his strength, a testament to the teal-haired man's age and dedication to drinking human blood.

Using the same route as before, Tohru vaulted off the trunk of the nearby tree to get to the branch and tangled grappling gun. Crawling out on the shaky branch, whimpering slightly when the fight below made it lurch violently, his pale hands quickly set to work on tangling the weapon. His eyes couldn't help but follow Natsuno, though, underlying tones of sadness and guilt riddling their dark surface. His best friend was moving faster than humanly possible, but then again, he wasn't human anymore. Tatsumi howled in pain as he reached the end of his tether again, giving Natsuno the chance to lay a set of deep scratches across his chest. His attack was quickly paid back in full when Tatsumi got his teeth into the teenager's arm. A couple elbows to the skull and he managed to get the Jinrou to release him, but both were being more cautious with their attacks now.

Tatsumi was still bleeding from the lodged grappling hook, his internal injuries healing painfully slow. On top of that he had probably just suffered a mild concussion, there was a deep cut on his left leg and the clawmarks on his chest were still closing. Natsuno was visually winded. He had severe bruising on his neck, a fang mark on his forearm, blood running down the side of his head and a nice red stain on the side of his white shirt, where Tatsumi's claws had managed a couple good hits. Overall, Tatsumi was in worse shape, but he had also been stronger to begin with so the two Jinrou were still about evenly matched.

Then Tohru got the grappling gun, grabbing it before it fell to the ground and alerted the teal-haired one to being freed. "I've had enough of this game," he growled, crouching in preparation for an attack.

"As have I," Natsuno conceded, but instead of coiling the springs in his legs he stood up straighter. The momentary confusion was all he needed, and as Tatsumi let his guard down Tohru threw the grappling gun into Natsuno's hand. He'd managed to wrap the cord around his limbs twice before Tatsumi recovered enough to struggle, and he quickly passed it back off to Tohru to restrain him while the Shiki finished tying him up.

"Do you really think something like this can keep me?" he asked irately, struggling against the steel cable.

"Of course not," Natsuno chided, dragging the other male over to the edge. "And as you said, a fall from this height _might_ kill a Jinrou, but isn't guaranteed. Therefore, I have a little gift for you."

Natsuno pulled something the inner pocket of his coat, along with a length of rope. Blue-green eyes going wide, he fearfully asked, "D-dynamite?"

Working to secure the explosives to the man's chest, Natsuno replied, "I figured this way there would be enough of you left to recover." Putting the last knot in the rope, he pulled out a match and struck it to life on his boot. "This is something you should have done when you lost your Shiki," he said, introducing the flare to the wick. "Rather than take your loneliness out on Sotoba." And he pushed the Jinrou over the edge.

Both Okiagari stood at the less, listening through the crackle of the approaching fire. Then they heard Tatsumi scream in horror, and the dynamite went off. The chasm funneled the sound up to its mouth, hurting their ears and making both hunch over until the ringing stopped a few minutes later, then they gazed back down in search of any indication the Jinrou had survived. When none presented itself, Natsuno looked back at the encroaching blaze. "Now how are we supposed to get around this so can meet the timeline?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Um, Natsuno?" came a soft voice behind him. The addressed party made no move to reply, but he also didn't yell at the Shiki for the use of his given name so he assumed that meant he could continue. "What had you meant earlier, when talking to Ozaki about three weeks."

"That's the time limit we have to reach the city before the others move on," Natsuno replied, searching his memory for a place to hide the shy blonde behind him with dawn rapid approaching. "It's ninety miles north of here, and most of the land between us and it is forest or farmland. Our main concern will be finding you shelter as we travel through the woods, which we need to find now or both the fire and the sun will consume you, Tohru-chan."

"Natsuno…?" Tohru asked, staring at the departing Jinrou's back. For a second he thought he was hearing things, for there was no way in his mind that Natsuno was using his old pet name again, like when they had been friends, _human_.

"Yes, Tohru-chan?" he inquired in response, stopping in his tracks and looking back over his shoulder at his companion.

"Why… why are you asking me to come with you?" he asked quietly, looking away from those amaranthine pools. "I thought you said you'd… never forgive me. So, why…?"

"Plans change," he stated simply, then looked straight ahead again and continued on his way, the blonde Shiki following solemnly in tow, the two melding into the shadows of the forest.

* * *

Okay, so I don't know if Natsuno did or did not know about Yoshie, but seeing as to how he only ever interacted with Tatsumi I'm gonna say he didn't. Also, Ritsuko's crush on the doctor is something I made up, too, partially because I wanted her death at Toshio's hands to have more meaning.

Amaranthine is a shade of purple, by the way. I was looking up synonyms for purple and that was one of them, and I liked the worde so I might use it again.

Probably my favorite thing about this chapter is how each section was ended. The first two had been coincidence, but then I thought it would be neat to have them all be that way, and voila.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, reviews are luffed and appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2: A Different Type of Varuga

This one is done, but I really need to write in the four stories I had already going when I started this one, so it will be a while until it gets another chapter. I cannot say how long, but hopefully it isn't too long.

Chapter 2 is actually kind of "Introduction: Part 2." While Chapter one dealt with the Shiki storyline only, this one sets the stage for the Karneval side of it, and the story really starts in Chapter 3, which just as a warning will chronologically be six months after this.

I have only seen the anime for both series (though I looked up a bit of manga details for the story). As such, a few things might be off. One, the time Gareki spent at Kuronomei. I don't know normal course schedule length, so if it seems too little we can attribute it to Gareki's exceptional intelligence and his desire to get out of there so he worked overtime. If it seems too long, then we can say it's because it was a completely new course. Either way, we'll make it work. As well, I don't really know the personality of Gareki's roommate, but I decided to make him a bit of a prankster. He's only mentioned once, so I don't think it's a big deal. I also took a bit of liberty with Karoku because you don't really get to see his character in the anime (at least not Circus's Karoku). He is very insistent on being near Nai, and because of that he does butt heads with Gareki cause Nai is so attached to him. One last character thing I did, Yogi typically just uses Gareki, but when he is being playfully he uses Gareki-kun.

And now, I will leave you with the **6785 words** in this chapter. :3

 **I do not own Shiki or Karneval :'(**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A Different Type of Varuga?**

Big, red eyes blinked at him several times, peeking up over the edge of his bed and disturbing him from his slumber. Brows knitting together in a frustrated attempt to remain asleep, the dark-haired male clutched the item in his arms closer to his chest and letting out a quiet groan. The uncomfortable feeling stirring him from the actually quite pleasant dream he was having wasn't going away though, and in a moment of clarity he realized it was because he was being watched. Blue eyes snapping open, it took him only half a second to react to the person crouching just half a foot away from his face at the edge of his bed.

" **GAAAAAHHH!** " His scream could probably be heard halfway back to Kuronomei.

Rapid, stomping footsteps rushed down the hall, their owner nearly colliding with a wall as he slid around a corner. A pale hand reached for the doorknob, yanking it open with such an urgency that it almost tore it off the hinges. A look of fear on his face, his pajamas still hanging loosely on his body and a Nyanperona pillow under his other arm, the blonde-haired Yogi stared into the room that had been given to the recently returned Gareki. He calmed immediately once he looked upon the scene, though. Both hands over his sensitive ears, Nai was sitting on his knees on the floor at the edge of Gareki's bed, one eye opening experimentally like a puppy that knew it was about to get scolded. Now wedged in the corner farthest from the unexpected intruder, knees pulled up to his chest which also happened to hide the item he held there from the blonde's view, was the bed's owner, the pink of embarrassment barely dusting his cheeks.

The small half-Niji slowly uncurled himself from the ball he'd defensively gone into at his friend's scream, sitting up on his knees and putting both hands on the edge of the bed. "Good mor—" he was just opening his mouth to speak when he was cut off.

"Couldn't you have waited for me to wake up first!" Gareki yelled, instantly regretting it when Nai shirked away a little. "Or… well… at least woke me up normally?" he asked, tone a lot softer and face brightening another shade.

"I didn't want to wa—" again Nai was cut off before he could get out a complete sentence.

"Now, now, Gareki-kun, there no need to be so mean," Yogi cheered from where he was now leaning in the doorway, a broad smile on his face. "He was just excited to see you, since he was out with Karoku when you got back yesterday." Now that he was part of the conversation, Yogi took a moment to take in the ravenette's appearance. He had managed to scurry out from under all of the dark covers in his attempt to put some distance between himself and being that had startled him, revealing bare feet at the end of his dark blue pajama pants. His knees were now laying on the bed, allowing him to take in the nice v-neck his shirt made with the first button undone, that pale collarbone a very tantalizing sight for older male. He'd liked Gareki from the first moment he saw him, not that he would tell him anything because he wasn't quite that stupid, but he'd long since accepted his sexuality and wasn't one to deny the attraction to himself. The more he learned about the messy-headed teen the fonder he grew, and speaking of messy hair, his bedhead was causing several strands to stand on end, making him look like some kind of hedgehog mix. He was about to gaze into those beautiful, blue eyes _just_ long enough to make the younger man feel a little uncomfortable when something in his lap caught his eye, and he looked from it to the Combat Physician's face several times. "Gareki, is that…?" he asked, too stupefied to say anything else. Resting in the seventeen-year-old's lap, a little worn and lumpy, was the Nyanperona pillow he had given him just before he left.

Face darkening a few more shades, he scrambled to hide the disheveled thing behind his back, defiantly spouting, "I-it's not what you think!"

"Aww, did you miss me Gareki-kun?" he sang, leaping across the short distance in an attempt to hug the younger man.

A vein popping on his forehead, the addressed male threw his arm right at the blonde's face. The blow was softened by the plush pillow, but it succeeded in keeping the prince off of him, and as he could see the defeated tears in those amethyst pools he managed to bite out, "It was the only thing I didn't care about getting damaged so I used it to fend off my roommate."

"Ahh, Gareki is still so mean to me," he cried, futilely waving his arms in an attempt to catch the ravenette. The newest member of Circus wasn't falling for it.

"Now you two," he started, continuing while he anger allowed his voice to hold steady. Pushing the Fighter back by his face and gently grabbing Nai's forearm, he led his two intruders back to the door. "Get out so I can get dressed!" he yelled, shoving Yogi until the blonde fell on his ass and kindly coaxing the little animal out of his room before slamming the door. Once the two were safely locked outside, he leaned back against the door and slid down it, hugging the pillow tight to his chest and burying his face in it. Like hell was he going to admit he missed the annoying post-human. Admitting it would mean having to analyze his feelings for him, and he was having none of that. Just thinking of the fact that he was—well, possibly… might be…—attracted to the overly cheerful idiot was enough to make his face rival a tomato.

Shaking his head vigorously to clear such thoughts, he rushed back over to his bed and straightened the covers, almost placing Nyanperona next to his pillow before remembering the excuse he'd given to Yogi. While it had been true that Shishi had taken to playing pranks on him, he'd never used the pillow to fend him off. He had to find some place to hide it so he could change before the blonde decided he was taking too long and bust back in to 'help.'

His outfits really hadn't changed over the years, his goggles still lopsided on his head and his signature blue long coat hanging down to his knees. He was just tying his second boot when, as he had suspected he would, Yogi came bursting back in, no longer clad in his pajamas but nevertheless still wearing bright, sun-shiny colors. Although he didn't show it, he was actually a little disappointed to find him fully dressed. _So much for fan service_ , he thought as he managed to wrap his arms around the shorter male's shoulders, nearly toppling them both back onto the hastily made bed.

"Seriously, Yogi!?" Gareki growled, finding himself pinned uncomfortably from behind and unable to wiggle free. "Must you always act like such a child!? Get off me!"

"But I was stuck doing chores as punishment for trying to skip my checkup and didn't get to see you yesterday either," he cooed lovingly, resting his head on the ravenette's shoulder and holding him a little tighter, and yet gentler at the same time. The endearing way the twenty-three-year-old said it sent the blood rushing straight to his face, a deep blush coloring his cheeks.

"O-okay, I get it," he stated, unable to completely hide the stuttering his heart was doing. "You can let me go now."

"Gareki, do you have a fever?" a small, cute voice in front of him asked, drawing both sets of eyes curiously towards the innocent Niji. Nai had his head tilted slightly to the right, curiosity and concern showing in his large, ruby eyes. "Your face is all red. You're not getting sick, are you?"

Blinking several times, completely surprised by Nai's remark, both just stood there for more than half a minute. Then, recovering enough that he could turn towards the male he was hanging on to, Yogi quietly remarked, "Your face is really red… So you really did miss—"

"It's just embarrassing to have you hanging all over me!" Gareki countered, managing to free an arm and shove the blonde away. Then, in a much softer voice than the gruff tone he'd used with the older male, he said while ruffling the Niji's albino hair, "I'm alright, Nai. Just happy to be home." At this, the smaller boy's face lit up in a broad smile.

A sense of dread coming over him, Gareki almost mechanically turned to face the rambunctious blonde. Tears once again dotted his eyes, an almost pained expression on his face, the very childish adult threw himself at the dark-haired teenager for the third time that morning. "You really did miss us!" he cried.

"Gah! Damnit Yogi, get off me!"

It was over five minutes later and the young Physician was still struggling to remove the older male. He was so determined to remove the blonde that he didn't even hear the soft footsteps approaching his door. "I figured I'd find you two here," Tsukumo said, hiding her quiet chuckle behind one hand. Ship Two's Fighter was seating in their newest member's lap, both arms wrapped protectively around his shoulders. Gareki, on the other hand, was doing everything he could to push the Prince off of him, his back supported against his bed frame as he tried to dislodge the blonde. And cute little Nai was just giggling to himself while watching the display. "Hirato has called for all of us to meet him in the briefing room. Try to finish up here quickly. Come on, Nai," she said sweetly, the youngest of the group not hesitating to stand and follow her.

Just as she was turning away from the door she caught the glimpse of two faces darkening in embarrassment, which cried in unison as she left, "Wh-what's that supposed to mean!?"

* * *

"Are any of you aware of a small country in the eastern sea called Nippon?" The Captain asked once all parties were present and seated. Their briefing room looked more like some kind of living room, a large couch and coffee table positioned just off center and a couple recliners mirroring it across the wooden surface. There were several end tables, a second couch pushed against the back wall, and considering that Gareki could remember peering in on several occasions to find the blonde snoozing on the couch they were now sitting on he wasn't entirely sure why they insisted on calling it a 'briefing room.'

"I remember reading about it at Kuronomei," Gareki replied, chin tilted down slightly into one of his hands. "Several rare herbs grow there, but they are difficult to obtain because the country is completely closed off from the outside world. Even establishing the smallest of trade routes is said to be a major feat."

"I'm surprised they had to research such a place, considering we are unable to go there," Hirato commented, clasped hands resting between his knees as he leaned forward on his elbows.

"Actually, that was something I self-studied," he remarked, looking out the large window to his left. "Although, no matter how much I searched I could not find a reason why, only that it's been closed off for almost a thousand years. The government deemed foreign influence 'en epidemic' and forbade all contact from without its borders. The only trade to and from the country is through either illegal avenues or government agencies. Other than that, there really wasn't much I could find."

"That is pretty much all that we know of that place," Hirato agreed, leaning back in his seat. "What little trade is accomplished is merely goods, with no information exchange, so any culture over the last thousand years is a complete mystery. On top of that, the library that held all records from before the blockade burned three-hundred years ago and most of the documents were destroyed. It is really... a complete mystery."

"So then, the reason you brought it up..." Tsukumo started, a worried expression on her face. He could tell what direction her mind was going.

"Yes, our next mission is on that continent," he stated simply. "Circus has kept a distant eye on it for a while now. A closed country forbidding access or information exchange is suspicious at best. It would be the perfect breeding ground for the research to create Varuga. If there were ever signs of such activities we were prepared to invade, but did not want to risk innocent life in such a conflict. Now, though, our assistance is being requested. By the government itself."

"What could have happened to make them suddenly revoke the ban?" Gareki inquired, shock clear in his voice.

Letting the silence hang between them for a short moment while he retrieved a report paper from the table, just long enough to build up the suspense, Hirato responded with, "They were attacked. Three nights ago a small village by the name of Sotoba was destroyed in a fire started by the villages as part of their war against 'savage monsters that move in the night and kill without mercy, changing some of their victims into their own kind.' That was a statement one of the villagers made when questioned. Not even a fourth of the population survived the massacre, and when the country's own enforcement units arrived two more were 'killed by those demons.' Having known what we fight against, that is when they called for Circus's help." Flipping the pages back so they lined up nicely, he tossed the report back on the table and leaned back in his seat once again, carefully observing the reactions from the members of his team. A whole range of emotion was displayed across their faces, from Nai's innocent confusion to Gareki and Tsukumo's uneasy contemplation.

Tsukumo was the one who spoke up first. "If the attack happened three days ago," she started, "then our enemy has a pretty decent head start."

"And plenty of time to destroy any evidence of their activities," Gareki added, both looking back to the Captain.

"True, and it will take another day for us to reach them, too," Hirato stated. "Our mission, though, is to track down any that might have escaped and eliminate them. If you happen upon some evidence we can use, then by all means collect it, but this is a fragile time at the moment or adherence to the mission assigned to us could very well determine the trust this government puts in us. Gareki, you understand the medical importance this could play, but it could also help eliminate one more place Kafka could infiltrate and hide."

It was unspoken, but everyone could hear it clearly; _We can't afford to mess this up._

"We will split up into groups for this," he continued. "Yogi, Gareki, and Nai will scour the village and surrounding woodland in search of any surviving 'monsters,' as the villagers called them. Tsukumo and Karoku will accompany me as I interview those who survived and see if we can locate anything that might be related to Kafka."

"I want to go with Nai," the blue-haired male stated defiantly, matching stares with the Captain.

"That will be an inefficient use of our resources," Hirato countered, by this point used to the young scientist's outbursts. He really didn't like to be away from his half-Niji. "If you are worried about Nai's safety then you can put your trust in Yogi and Gareki. Our young Physician may be just out of Kuronomei, but he has had combat training, and you know plenty well that our Fighter will take care of him. Nai's abilities are best served searched for unknown targets. You, on the other hand, have been held captive by Kafka before, and as such have a better understanding of how they work. You might very well notice things Tsukumo or myself might not." When Karoku remained begrudgingly silent, he continued, "Are there any other complaints? Good, then you have until we arrive to prepare. Dismissed."

Nai was practically hanging on Gareki's arm as he exited the room, the ravenette able to feel the Niji's guardian glaring at him as his precious child was 'stolen' from him. _Geez, if he wants to be with the little animal so much he should just come over here and grab him_ , he thought, ignoring the older male. It wasn't that Karoku didn't like Gareki, just that he got jealous towards him easily since Nai had become so attached to the Physician.

There was one other unnerving sensation running up his spine, too, and this one he absolutely refused to look at because he knew the instant he did he'd be clobbered by the extremely immature Second Ship Fighter. Yogi was following behind him like a lost puppy dog, tears dotting his eyes and the most pathetic aura possible surrounding him. He was somewhere between extremely happy for the dark-haired male having returned and completely despondent at being ignored. It wasn't until he had almost reached his room that he finally gave in and turned around. "Okay, Yogi, what do you—Ahg!" he was cut off as the blonde tackled him to the ground. "Y-you big oaf! Get off me!"

A large grin plastered on his face, the incorrigible blonde sang in his cheeriest voice, "Let's play hide-and-seek."

"Ooh, I want to!" Nai chimed, jumping up and waving one arm back and forth in the air.

"I guess I have nothing better to do," Tsukumo stated, acting a lot more bored with the idea than she really was. It was not like she'd ever admit that Yogi's childish attitude and games made the Second Ship feel more like a home, but she did enjoy it.

The next voice that spoke made everyone jump. "Ehh, hide-and-seek? Sounds like fun," Karoku drawled, startling the small group since none of them had heard him follow them.

Then the four sets of eyes turned to the last member of the group, the seventeen-year-old tsundere that was still pinned under the oversized child. "Good, then you four can have fun with that," he stated defiantly, purposely not looking at any of them.

Gareki made the mistake of looking at Nai, the small half-Niji's crimson eyes filling with sadness. Tears dotting the corners of those bright pools, he mumbled dejectedly, "But I wanted to play with Gareki…" Shivers ran up his spin as the albino sniffled and rubbed his eyes with a sleeve, turning away from the animal before his resolve caved and he gave in.

A mischievous smirk touching his lips, Karoku sighed dramatically and walked over to Nai, patting him gently on the head. "Now, it can't be helped if the little amateur is too afraid he's going to lose," he cooed to the boy, dropping to his knees and wrapping one arm around his shoulders while the other pet the purple tips of his hair. "We should just let the scaredy-cat slink ba—" A firm hand gripped his elbow, cutting him off.

Gareki was sitting up now, completely ignoring the blonde that was still seated in his lap as he glared at the scientist, a vein popped out on his forehead. "What did you just say?" he bit out.

Grinning back, Karoku replied, "If the little brat fresh out of Kuronomei doesn't think he can play a simple game of hide-and-seek then we shouldn't make him participate."

A second vein appearing beside the first, the calmness permeating his voice as he spoke was unusually chilly. "I'll do better than some idiot who managed to get captured by Kafka," he said smugly, the competitive edge in his tone sharpened with ice.

Eyes narrowing in interest, Karoku taunted, "Oh, so the kid thinks he can beat me?"

Jumping up and knocking Yogi back on his ass, Gareki yelled, "You won't even know what hit you."

Smirking again, Karoku's reply was only two words, "Challenge accepted."

"Time limit is one hour, rules are you can't leave the ship and no using the Circus ID, and the first person found loses!" the two shouted at the same time, then ran off in opposite directions, leaving the other three behind in stunned silence.

Tsukumo was the first one to recover, the only girl in the group saying, "I'm not sure if they like each other, or don't…" She received a small nod from Yogi, but Nai actually spoke up.

"They like each other, just in their own way," he replied, eyes closed and both hands over his heart. "I can feel it. They act like they don't get along, but they really do."

"If Nai says so, then we know it's true," Tsukumo smiled, teasing his hair. "Well, I'm gonna go hide then. Yogi, you be it."

"What? But I wanted to hide!" he cried a few second later, once her words set in.

"Then you should have said something earlier. Come on, Nai," Tsukumo stated apathetically, the Niji giving him a slight nod before following her.

Sniffling a little at being forced to be it, Yogi slowly moped his way over to the wall and leaned his forehead against it before starting to count.

Tsukumo was the first person he found. Well, technically it was Hirato, who happened to come down the hallway and ask why he looked like someone had just taken a pair of scissors to his Nyanperona costume, but he wasn't playing so he didn't count. Second, to the dismay of the one being found, was Karoku. The bluenette had managed to stuff himself behind some towels to the point where very little of his body could be seen. Unfortunately, his shirt clashed so completely with the towels that it gave him away immediately. Nai, after the last time when he'd falling outside of the ship, had steered clear of any grates or air ducts, instead stowing away in his closet behind his clothes in hopes that he would blend right in. It almost worked, Yogi having to do a double take in order to see him. And finally they were down to just Gareki, and the time was running out.

"Aaah, where could he be hiding?" Yogi whined, trudging down this particular hallway for the third time.

"Are you sure you've checked everywhere?" Karoku grumbled, still sore that he had lost. He could already hear the Physician gloating, and it was ticking him off. At least they hadn't denoted some type of punishment for the loser.

After a slight pause, Yogi replied, "…Yes."

The blue-haired twenty-year-old stopped in his tracks. "What was that pause for? You know where he is, don't you? This was all a setup to make me look bad, wasn't it?"

"What? No!" Yogi defended, putting his hands up instinctively. "It's just… I don't want to go down that hallway…" he explained, fear clear on his face as he looked down the dim hallway to his right.

Now fuming, Karoku grabbed the blonde by the wrist and started dragging him down the hall, where they were suddenly registering in Tsukumo's mind. "I see," she said absently, following behind the protesting pair. When they reached the door at its end, Karoku slammed his fist into the button and made it slide open, revealing their target, reclined back on the examination bed with a book in his hands.

"Took you guys long enough," he stated indifferently, turning a page.

"You set this up, didn't you?" the bluenette accused, jabbing one finger in the Physician's direction.

"Not at all," Gareki replied, not even looking up from what he was reading. When Nai tried to peer around him to see the title it almost gave him a headache, the poor thing not even able to understand the characters. Whatever the book was called, it was written in a different language. "I ran off the direction I did because I just wanted to get away from you. However, there really wasn't anywhere to hide that way, and when I came back I realized that Yogi was the one being 'it.' I knew where I was going to hide immediately at that point, so after sneaking into my room and grabbing a book to pass the time I came here. With how terrified he is of doctors, I knew the last place he'd want to look for someone is the medical bay."

"Why didn't I think of that…?" Tsukumo mumbled, looking down in embarrassment. Karoku, on the other hand, could do nothing but leave his mouth open in astonishment, a dark blush tinting his cheeks. He really had been acting immaturely, and quite honestly it was embarrassing.

"Speaking of which," he started, placing the bookmark at in the spine and closing the book. Jumping off the bed and laying the volume on his work table, he walked right up to the poor blonde whose legs had already given out underneath him and continued, "I was asked by Doctor Akari to give you a checkup as soon as I got here and send him the report, so come this way." Grabbing Yogi's arm, he literally started dragging him across the room.

"No, Gareki, I don't wanna!" he cried, trying to loosen the grasp on his arm.

"Didn't you say you want to spend more time with me?" Gareki asked. "So stop struggling and just come on. It will be over before you know it."

Tears again dotting his eyes, although for a completely different reason now, Yogi cried, "N-not like this!"

Although as terrified as he seemed, he would have to admit later that it wasn't nearly as scary when Gareki was doing it.

* * *

They could only imagine how beautiful this place used to look, and it really was only in their minds that they'd be able to picture it because the fire had destroyed most of the area. Skeleton trees jutted out of the earth like the menacing spikes of a pit trap, the fire giving little mercy to the deep valley. Most of the village was burned, the houses left standing gutted of their belongings. There were a few people seemed to avoid, though, and as the group of three approached one they found their first clue as to why. The front door swung on its hinges, the frame splintered where the lock jam was supposed to be. The polished oak it was made of could withstand a substantial amount of force, so the fact that it was so completely fragmented sent horrid chills down their spines. Whatever had done this was incredibly strong.

Inside very little seemed touched. Most of the household goods were left in place, and it wasn't until they got to the back bedroom that they found the mess. The large, shuttered window was left open as whoever had been there had exited, but evidence of their visit was scattered all over the room. Drawers had been pulled out and overturned, the closet riffled through, and the mattress torn open. From what the could tell, the lattermost was because something had been hidden there, a nice, square section cut out of the center. The rest, who knows what they were looking for. And right outside that window was a nice view of the forest, and some of the few trees that survived.

"We don't know when it left, but we should try to track it down," Yogi stated, not waiting for his two companions to agree before climbing out the window. "Nai, can you feel anything?"

The youngest of the trio stood there with both hands cupped behind his ears and nose in the wind for a short moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, not yet," he replied, diverting his gaze to the dirt. It was there that he realized there were several sets of footprints in the dust, and as he followed them they vanished into the trees. "There," he said, pointing them out.

Looking from the Niji, to the tracks, and back to the Niji, Yogi beamed, "That's our little Nai-chan! Good job!" and petted his head. Then they started off after their target.

* * *

Hirato watched with mute fascination as the residents of the devastated town quickly packed up what they had and headed towards their vehicles. They had spent the majority of the day speaking with the survivors, piecing together what had happened at the village and trying to pull any clues out of them that might indicate Kafka's involvement. They were having difficulties on both fronts. Many of the reports they got were very similar, labeling the fallen villagers Shiki or Okiagari and saying they had risen up again with a thirst for blood. A name had been tossed around a bit, one Doctor Toshio Ozaki, whom most had contributed to their victory against the undead scourge, but none could direct them to where he was. They also heard a puzzling bit of information that these things were only active at night, and entered something referred to as 'the dead sleep' during the day. Things just weren't adding up.

"From what we have gathered, these things don't really sound anything like Varuga," Tsukumo pondered out loud, brows knitted together in frustration. "I've never heard of a Varuga being forced into an unwakable slumber when the sun rises, or being burned by its rays. Also, these things apparently didn't eat their victims, just drank their blood, and those killed by the Okiagari only had a chance of Rising back up as one. Infection didn't seem to be guaranteed."

"I have found no signs of Kafka's involvement, either," Karoku stated, glancing up at the lowering sun. "It is strange to think that they would even work on something with so many obvious weaknesses as well. Unable to tolerate sunlight, easily identifiable by the black and red eyes, falling into a deep sleep at sunrise? They seem more like vampires from legend and lore than something Kafka would think up."

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Hirato agreed, also watching the sun dip ever closer to the horizon. "I should call Yogi's team back before the sun sets, and start the search up again tomorrow. If we really are dealing with some type of vampire, it would be better to regroup for the night and come up with a battle plan before starting again." _Let's just hope those fools didn't wander off too far…_ he added to himself.

* * *

Several hours had passed and they were still wandering through the trees, trying to follow the miniscule signs that even the animal in their group had a hard time keeping track of. They had backtracked and turned around enough times that had they not had a GPS on their phones they wouldn't be able to find their way back to the village. Honestly, it was starting to become infuriating.

"Oooh, no more!" Yogi finally sighed exasperatedly, throwing his hands up in the arm before plopping down on a tree stump. "This is impossible! Not even Nai can track them down."

"Why don't you just calm down for a moment. We can rest here for a bit before trying again, give our minds time to clear and think straight again," Gareki offered, taking his own seat on a nearby log. Almost immediately the white-haired half-Niji was at his side, both hands in his lap and feet swinging just an inch off the ground. It really had been a great tree, and the ravenette wished he could have seen the giant before it fell.

The minutes passed by in silence, broken only by the occasional bird song as the three enjoyed the moment of piece. And, of course, it had to be the blonde that disturbed it. "Hey, Gareki," he started quietly, watching his knees as he nervously touched his forefingers together multiple times. "Why did you choose to become a Combat Physician? I thought you'd become an explosives or firearm master troop instead."

Looking over at the older male, and having to berate himself mentally for thinking of how cute his actions were, he locked his arms against the trunk behind him and leaned back on them, face tilted to the sky. "…I don't really have a single reason… It had to do with multiple things," he replied vaguely, hoping that would be enough for the inquisitive Fighter but knowing it wouldn't be.

"Like what?" he probed, gaining an inch of confidence.

Sighing as he realized he'd have to give him more of an answer, Gareki continued, "Well, for one… I knew it would be a challenge. I would have to learn two very different skill sets, and I knew the texts would be advances and that appealed to me. When I thought of Yotaka, how he died and how much it hurt Tsubame, I wanted to be able to maybe prevent something like that from happening ever again. If I could save those touched by the Varuga, like I couldn't save Tsubaki or Yotaka, then that's what I wanted to do. But I also didn't want to be dead weight in the field. And it was Tokitatsu that suggested I try to become the first combat physician." He paused for a moment, worrying his bottom lip discreetly before adding in a much quieter voice, "And maybe if I studied medicine then I could help you get over your fear of doctors, or at least make it so you didn't have to go see Doctor Akari as often…"

Blinking a few times, for he knew he had heard something else but he couldn't make out the words, he asked, "What was that?"

"Nothing! Let's get back to work!" Gareki shouted immediately, jumping from his seat and starting off in a completely random direction. Yogi might not have heard it, but not only was Nai closer but he had very sensitive ears, and not only did he pick up the ravenette's voice, he had felt the connection between Gareki's heart as he spoke it, and it made him smile.

Continuing on their task, they found it just as difficult to find and keep the trail as it had been before their break. And as it was, even Nai starting to get the directions confused, something else itching at the back of his mind. He had never before been afraid of the dark, but an eerie feeling was settling in heavier and heavier the closer that bright orb got to the horizon. His Niji instincts were starting to go haywire, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end and his breath quickening. Something… something bad was coming.

 _ **BBBBBBBBRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!**_

Nai leapt about four feet in the air, but didn't land back on the ground. He had instinctively moved away from the sound, which led to him landing pretty much on Gareki's shoulders, one foot resting in the crook of the older male's elbow and the other struggling to find a foothold at his waist, both hands holding his shoulders in a death grip. He also nearly hissed at the cause of the sound, until he realized just what it was.

How he'd managed to stay upright with the sudden addition of weight Gareki wasn't entirely sure, but when he glanced behind him and saw the patch of thick briars he was silently grateful for it. Taking a deep, calming breath in an attempt to not snap at the already terrified child, the ravenette bit out, "What is your problem, Nai?"

Before the albino could reply, Yogi held the cause of the noise up to his ear and got about half a syllable of 'hello' out before another voice shouted from the other end. "Why did it take you so long to answer?!" Hirato yelled, nearly making his victim drop the phone. "I've been calling you two for the last ten minutes, but neither of you were answering!"

Stunned into silence, Yogi could do nothing but stand there in shock as their Captain continued to tear in to him. "Huh, no signal," Gareki said loud enough that Hirato, who was incidentally on speaker, could hear. He had summoned his phone when the older male had started yelling about 'trying forty times' to reach them and failing. "Must be the dense trees, or something. And since this is the first time anyone's been allowed on the island we don't have any receivers or boosters to help with the signal."

A sigh coming through the speaker, Hirato seemed to be calming down a bit. "Alright, I understand," he stated. "Just head back. And try to make it quick."

"Y-yes sir," Yogi stuttered, then waited for the man on the other side to hang up before letting himself breath. "Th-thank you, Gareki."

"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it. Now… Will you please get off me, Nai!" he shouted a little harsher than he meant, but the Niji just held on a little tighter.

"I don't like this," he replied, although he did let go with a little more coaxing. "We should head back. I don't like this. Something… Something's not right."

Not one to dismiss Nai's instincts, the two Circus members exchanged similar glances before taking up positions on either side of the boy. "Alright," the older one started, "we'll head back right now."

That horrible feeling seemed to be going away, and Nai was almost about to relax when it suddenly flared up again. The trees had gone dark around them, night now fully descended and, with it, a renewal to that wrongness he was sensing. And whatever it was, it seemed to be drawing ever closer.

Gareki noticed it first, how Nai was shivering and hugging his shoulders tightly, crimson eyes wide. I made his gun immediately appear in his hand, and catching Yogi's attention, the blonde was soon holding his swords. Whatever was making the half-Niji so terrified was getting closer; even they could feel it now. And then, there was a rustle in the bushes behind them.

Spinning on their heels, they came face to face with a teenaged boy. He was tall and thin, dressed in what reminded them of a school uniform. His spiteful eyes, set deep in his long face, watched them cautiously, and the horrible feeling they were getting but just looking at him was making their stomach churn. Perhaps in town he wouldn't have looked so out of place, but here he was just too conspicuous to believe.

He seemed to pause one they turned on his, and as his small pupils trained on their weapons they could have sworn they saw a flash of red in them. He closed them immediately, though, and holding his hands up defensively he said in a particularly scared voice, "I-I seem to have lost my way. Do you think you can help me back to the village."

A fraction of a second of silence, and then Nai screamed, "No! His heart… He doesn't have a heart!"

Gareki made the mistake of looking at Nai, the small animal crouched down as close to the earth as he could get and both hands over his ears. The Shiki chose that moment to attack. Fangs appearing where his canine teeth had been, the Okiagari once known as Masao launched himself at the dark-clad male. This one… This one reminded him so much of _him_! He was just like _Natsuno_ , and the blonde seemed very similar to the friend that _outcast_ had taken from him. Even if he had been the one still on alert he'd have been the one Masao attacked first.

The saber came right at his chest, Gareki turning back to see those menacing fangs closing in on his throat. They stopped, though, a foot from his neck, one of Yogi's swords piercing through his heart. The Shiki looked down at the sword in shock, having forgotten about his opponent's weapons in the moment of rage. His body was already shutting down. "Why…?" he had the gall to ask as his limbs started disappearing into blue particles. "What did I do… to deserve this…"

Once he was gone, the three exchanged worried glances before deciding it would be best to try and fly back. They'd have to get up over the trees, but staying on the forest floor no longer felt even remotely safe. So, bouncing Nai up onto his back, Gareki used his new abilities to soar up into the sky, a sensation he felt he would never get enough of.

"What… what was he?" Yogi asked, flying up next to his companions. "He didn't look normal at all."

"I don't know," Gareki replied, focusing mostly on where he was going. It was bothering him, too, though. It hadn't been right. "We'll have to ask Hirato when we get back if they have any information, but, maybe… A different type of Varuga?"

* * *

I can just imagine Nai, as Yogi's phone goes off, acting just like a frightened cat with all its fur standing on end. Also, while I'm pretty sure Niji don't hiss, that is the defensive sound Nai makes when he is startled.

Masao got taken out REALLY quickly, but let's face it, he's a total wimp. I mainly just needed them to run into a Shiki, and rather than a nameless villager I made Masao have a stroke of luck and somehow still be alive. Well, now he's dead.

I hope you enjoyed chapter two and are looking forward to more. How I can get it out in a decent amount of time.

As always, reviews are luffed and appreciated.


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